Liquid cooling device

ABSTRACT

A liquid cooling device includes a casing ( 10 ) having a container ( 14 ) for accommodating liquid therein, a base ( 11 ) and a liquid inlet port ( 18 ) in communication with the container ( 14 ). The base ( 11 ) comprises a heat-absorbing surface and a rough surface for exchanging heat with liquid, and the rough surface is opposing to the heat-absorbing surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to a U.S. patent application entitled “LIQUID COOLING DEVICE”, recently filed with the same assignee as the instant application. The disclosure of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly to a cooling device utilizing liquid for cooling a heat-generating device.

2. Description of Related Art

Liquid cooling devices were commonly utilized to cool huge systems such as furnaces. Today, liquid cooling devices also are used to cool electronic or electrical components, such as chipsets, dies or computer central processing units (CPUs), by circulating the cooling liquid in a channel.

Generally, a liquid cooling device comprises a casing, forming a liquid container made of metal material. The casing comprises a base and a lid covering the base. The base is for contacting a cooled component and comprises an upper surface. The lid comprises a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet. Liquid pipes respectively connect the liquid outlet and the liquid inlet to a liquid tank. The liquid tank is further provided with a submersible motor therein. In operation to dissipate heat from the cooled component, the liquid in the liquid tank flows through the liquid inlet pipe into the casing, and is drawn by the motor to exit from the casing to the liquid tank for a subsequent circulation.

However, the upper surface of the base is generally flat. Heat exchange surface between the base and the liquid is limited As a result, the liquid is only to flow in a limited surface in the casing. It is difficult to get maximized heat exchange efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling device getting maximized heat exchange efficiency.

In order to achieve the object set out above, a liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing, a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port in communication with the container. The casing comprises a container for accommodating liquid therein and a base. The base comprises a heat-absorbing surface and a rough surface for exchanging heat with liquid. The rough surface is opposing to the heat-absorbing surface.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of a liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of a casing of the liquid cooling device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, taken along line III-III;

FIG. 4 is a view of a base of a casing of a liquid cooling device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a base of a casing of a liquid cooling device in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing 10, and an actuator 50 connected to the casing 10 by a liquid outlet pipe 100 and a liquid inlet pipe 200 respectively at opposite locations of the actuator 50.

The casing 10 comprises a base 11 for intimately contacting a heat generating component or source (not shown) by a side surface thereof and a lid 12 cooperating with the base 11 to form a container 14 therebetween to accommodate liquid for circulation. The base 11 and the lid 12 are hermetizated by calk, packing, shim, or seal, for keeping the liquid from leaking out of the container 14. A pair of tubular connectors, for connecting the pipes 100, 200 to the casing 10, extends outwardly from the lid 12. The connectors are respectively named as liquid inlet port 18 and liquid outlet port 19, according to the directions along which the liquid flows in the connectors. The liquid inlet port 18 is disposed at a middle of the lid 12.

The container 14, the liquid outlet pipe 100, the actuator 50 and the liquid inlet pipe 200 cooperatively define a hermetical circulation route or loop for liquid. The actuator 50 can be a pump, an impeller, a promoter or the like, for actuating liquid to continuously circulate in the route along the arrow as shown in FIG. 1.

For promoting the cooling efficiency of the device, a radiator is arranged on the liquid circulation route. A fin member 30 is an example of the radiator. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the liquid outlet pipe 100 enters into the fin member 30, so that heat, still contained in the liquid after naturally cooled in the casing 10, is removed to the fin member 30 and is dissipated to ambient air. Thus, the liquid is extremely cooled before entering the container 14 for a subsequent circulation. Understandably, a fan (now shown) can be mounted onto the fin member 30 for enhancing heat dissipation capability of the fin member 30.

FIG. 4 shows a base 11 of a casing 10 of the liquid cooling device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The base 11 comprises an upper surface 110. The upper surface 110 defines a plurality of grooves 111 therein. The upper surface 110 is divided into a plurality of blocks by the grooves 111 so as to form a recessed structure. Heat exchange surface between the base 11 and the liquid is increased. The liquid enters into the container 14 from the liquid inlet port 18. The liquid flows on the upper surface 110 and in the grooves 111 to sufficiently absorb heat from the base 11, so that heat exchange efficiency between the liquid and the base 11 is improved.

FIG. 5 shows another type of a base 41. The base 41 comprises an upper surface 410. The upper surface 410 defines a plurality of cavities 411 therein. Depth of each cavity 411 is less than that of the base 41. The design of the base 41 having the cavities 411, also increases heat exchange surface between the base 41 and the liquid.

Moreover, it is understood that other rough surfaces, such as a wave-like surface, can be competent to increase heat exchange surface between the base and the liquid.

For showing clearly, the casing 10, the fin member 30 and the actuator 50 are positioned separately, and connected by the 100, 200 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it is also understood that the fin member 30 can be directly positioned on the casing 10, and the actuator 50 can be positioned within the fin member 30, without the liquid outlet pipe 100 and the liquid inlet pipe 200, to thereby save space occupied by the liquid cooling device.

It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. 

1. A liquid cooling device comprising: a casing for accommodating liquid therein, comprising a base and a lid on the base, the base comprising a heat-absorbing surface and a rough surface for exchanging heat with liquid, the rough surface opposing to the heat-absorbing surface; and a liquid inlet port positioned on the lid and in communication with an inner space of the casing and perpendicularly directing to the rough surface.
 2. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein the rough surface defines as a plurality of grooves therein.
 3. The liquid cooling device of claim 2, wherein the rough surface is divided into a plurality of blocks by the grooves.
 4. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein the rough surface defines a plurality of cavities therein.
 5. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, further comprising a liquid outlet port provided on the lid and communicating with the inner space of the casing.
 6. A liquid cooling device comprising: a container comprising a heat-absorbing base and a lid, the base comprising a surface interior of the container, the surface defining a plurality of indents therein; liquid accommodated in the container; an actuator; pipes connecting the container and the actuator; a liquid inlet port disposed on the lid and is oriented perpendicularly to the base of the container, the liquid inlet port rendering the liquid to enter the container; and a liquid outlet port which allows the liquid to leave the container when actuated by the actuator.
 7. The liquid cooling device of claim 6, wherein the liquid inlet port is located at a middle of the lid and the indents comprise a plurality of grooves.
 8. The liquid cooling device of claim 6, wherein the liquid inlet port is located at a middle of the lid and the indents comprise a plurality of cavities therein and depth of the cavities is less than that of the base.
 9. The liquid cooling device of claim 6, further comprising a liquid circulation located outside of said container, the liquid circulation having opposite ends thereof connecting with said inlet and outlet ports respectively wherein the liquid inlet port is located at a middle of the lid.
 10. The liquid cooling device of claim 9, further comprising a heat sink connected to the liquid circulation.
 11. A liquid cooling device for dissipating heat from a heat-generating component, comprising: a casing disposed next to said component, said casing comprising a container used to receive cooling liquid therein and a base disposed next to said container for thermally contacting with said component to acquire said heat from said component and thermally contacting with said cooling liquid received in said container to transmit said heat to said received cooling liquid via a recessed surface of said base facing said received cooling liquid, and said thermally contacting of said base with said received cooling liquid in said container being achievable by means of receiving portions of said received cooling liquid inside said base via said recessed surface; and a cooling liquid circulation system connected to said casing and in communication with said container for passage of said cooling liquid so as to urge said cooling liquid moving into said container for acquiring said heat from said base and out of said container for heat dissipation said cooling liquid circulation system comprising a liquid inlet port disposed on said casing and perpendicularly directing to said recessed surface of said base, said liquid inlet port enabling said cooling liquid to enter said container.
 12. The liquid cooling device of claim 11, wherein a plurality of grooves is defined on said recessed surface of said base so as to form said recessed surface and divide said recessed surface into a plurality of blocks.
 13. The liquid cooling device of claim 11, wherein a plurality of cavities is defined on said recessed surface of said base so as to form said recessed surface. 